Are you a person that see's easy climbs as beneath you? Do you constantly search for something to project? Why do you do so, and does this effect your relationship with partners?

Personally I truly enjoy the easy to moderate routes, but also find myself able to dedicate days for projects. I know climbers who wouldn't even consider climbing a 5.5 as they consider it beneath them even if it could be considered a 'classic route for the grade'.

"easy" is rather subjective, but for me personally, I climb the most difficult route I am able to climb. The challenge of the climb and learning new moves/techniques to solve the problem attracts me to the more difficult climbs (relatively speaking) but also makes the easier climbs boring for me.

It's similar to hiking/backpacking...you have peak baggers and then you have people who just want to leisurely stroll along and enjoy the scenery.

I'm with Real Name Taken, I want to climb at a grade that I can safely push myself mentally and physically. There are days I'll project on a sport route, but I'm not that guy who as a 5.10 climber will try a 5.12, in hopes of maybe being able to link the moves the one day the stars line up.

I climb b/c its fun and you get to go to / see amazing places. I am slowly and happily upping my lead grades, but only b/c there are a ton of fun routes that I'd like to be able to climb, not b/c of the difficulty.

Any climbing is better than no climbing, but I'd usually prefer to challenge myself. If there are two climbs side-by-side that are both classics, one easy and one at my limit, I'll take the latter almost every time. But if I'm with an inferior climber, or if there's a massive line for the tougher climb, I wouldn't hesitate to hop on the easier stuff.

right now i prefer to climb something where theres a good chance that ill get my butt kicked, as long as the gear is good and the fall is safe ...

for partners i usually look for people who arent afraid to lead as much and as hard as they can ... could be 5.9/10/11/12 whatever ... the important thing is that you give it everything you got and dont just sit around top roping easy stuff and think yr "cool" for it

and that you be willing to try to follow me up anything i lead ... for the trad i do there are a lot of climbs that have a say 5.11/5.12 crux but most of it is more moderate, so pull on the gear if you need at the crux on TR, but just dont make excuses about "i cant do it so i wont even try"

for multi ...you need to be able to follow me up whatever i go up ... ill lead everything but you have to be willing to climb and not give up unless its become dangerous ... so none of that "oh im a bit tired lets go down" crap on the 10th pitch

for sport i look for partners who arent afraid to lead to the limit of their ability if the fall is clean and the bolting safe ... i mean at that point its overhanging sport ... just take the fall

at the end of the day if you give it EVERYTHING you got and dont make excuses ... ill guarantee a happi ending ;)

easy is all relative of course .. since there are plenty of people who hike my projects ...

"Easy"(subjective) routes are just an excuse to fill up a backpack with food, water, extra gear, booze, and any illegal substances you may have lying around. Think of it as training for alpine climbing.

I like easy routes for mileage, and for climbing with less experienced folks where I am after a shared experience. It is very much like skiing to me - I enjoy skiing many, many laps on blues to get in shape, and I like skiing greens only if I am with my dad or a beginner friend that is stoked on that terrain.

I'm a bit of a slut when it comes to climbing. I'll do anything, with anyone, it usually depends on my partner. I like it hard and I like it soft... as long as I have fun.

A few years ago I realized that I would not be able to push my physical limit forever and keep climbing. Too many tweaks and pains. I started climbing easier stuff that pushes the mental side of climbing and feel like I haven't missed a beat. I still will try hard routes, just not every time I go out.

I would rather take my girl up a moderate trade route than send a difficult sport route any day.

Easy stuff is fun. Right up until you look down and realize that the first thing thats going to slow you down or stop you is a nice ledge. That being said I would much rather send a couple of moderates than 1 hard route.

Those railing on easy routes are most likely just projecting their own lack of abilities & trolling for validation among the internet hardmen of Mountain Project.

JLP wrote:

I don't loathe easy routes, just the people that occupy them. They are a contagious disease of weakness and mediocrity.

This might be overstating it a bit, but definitely a fair observation. As evidence, just look back to the whole Wolf's Head debacle earlier this summer... or Elena's suggestion of bolting a new rap route down the Grand.